334 



FRUITS. 



Chap. X, 



constitutional details the vine varies. During the vine disease in France 

 certain whole groups of varieties 8 have suffered far more from mildew than 

 others. Thus " the group of the Chasselas, so rich in varieties, did not 

 afford a single fortunate exception ; " certain other groups suffered much 

 less; the true old Burgundy, for instance, was comparatively free from 

 disease, and the Carminat likewise resisted the attack. The American 

 vines, which belong to a distinct species, entirely escaped the disease in 

 France ; and we thus see that those European varieties which best resist 

 the disease must have acquired in a slight degree the same constitutional 

 peculiarities as the American species. 



White Mulberry (Morus alba).— I mention this plant because it has 

 varied in certain characters, namely, in the texture and quality of the 

 leaves, fitting them to serve as food for the domesticated silkworm, in a 

 manner not observed with other plants ; but this has arisen simply from 

 such variations in the mulberry having been attended to, selected, and 

 rendered more or less constant. M. de Quatrefages 9 briefly describes six 

 kinds cultivated in one valley in France : of these the amourouso produces 

 excellent leaves, but is rapidly being abandoned because it produces much 

 fruit mingled with the leaves : the antofino yields deeply cut leaves of the 

 finest quality, but not in great quantity: the claro is much sought for 

 because the leaves can be easily collected : lastly, the roso bears strong 

 hardy leaves, produced in large quantity, but with the one inconvenience, 

 that they are best adapted for the worms after their fourth moult. MM. 

 Jacquemet-Bonnefont, of Lyon, however, remark in their catalogue (1862) 

 that two sub-varieties have been confounded under the name of the roso, 

 one having leaves too thick for the caterpillars, the other being valuable 

 because the leaves can easily be gathered from the branches without the 

 bark being torn. 



In India the mulberry has also given rise to many varieties. The Indian 

 form is thought by many botanists to be a distinct species ; but as Royle 

 remarks, 10 "so many varieties have been produced by cultivation that it is 

 difficult to ascertain whether they all belong to one species ; " they are, 

 as he adds, nearly as numerous as those of the silkworm. 



The Orange Group.— We here meet with great confusion in the specific 

 distinction and parentage of the several kinds. Gallesio, 11 who almost 

 devoted his life-time to the subject, considers that there are four species, 

 namely, sweet and bitter oranges, lemons, and citrons, each of which has 

 given rise to whole groups of varieties, monsters, and supposed hybrids. 

 One high authority 12 believes that these four reputed species are all 



8 M. Bouchardat, in ' Comptes Ren- 

 dus,' Dec. 1st, 1851, quoted in ' Gar- 

 dener's Chron.,' 1852, p. 435. 



9 ' Etudes sur les Maladies actuelles 

 du Ver a Soie,' 1859, p. 321. 



10 'Productive Resources of India,' p. 

 130. 



11 ' Traite du Citrus,' 1811. ' Teoria 

 della Riproduzione Vegetale,' 1816. I 



quote chiefly from this second work. 

 In 1839 Gallesia published in folio ' Gli 

 Agrumi dei Giard. Bot. di Firenze,' in 

 which he gives a curious diagram of the 

 supposed relationship of all the forms. 



12 Mr. Bentham, Review of Dr. A. 

 Targioni-Tozzetti, 'Journal of Hort. 

 Soc.,' vol. ix. p. 133. 



